"Have Courage and Be Kind"

"Have Courage and Be Kind."

I am sure most of you know where this quote is from. If you do not... It is from the new Cinderella movie that came out earlier this year.

The message is simple, but at the same time it is actually really important to remember.

In the movie, Cinderella was bossed around and forced to do hard work every day from morning until night. She was never treated with any kindness or love from her stepmother or stepsisters.

Even though Cinderella was treated this way, she remained courageous and kind through it all. She radiated kindness, joy, love, and happiness wherever she went.

She reminded me of a certain person... Can you guess who? Yes, that's right! St. Therese!

St. Therese said, “Another time I was working in the laundry, and the Sister opposite, while washing handkerchiefs, repeatedly splashed me with dirty water. My first impulse was to draw back and wipe my face, to show the offender I should be glad if she would behave more quietly; but the next minute I thought how foolish it was to refuse the treasures God offered me so generously, and I refrained from betraying my annoyance. On the contrary, I made such efforts to welcome the shower of dirty water, that at the end of half an hour I had taken quite a fancy to this novel kind of aspersion, and I resolved to come as often as I could to the happy spot where such treasures were freely bestowed.”

Even though it is still important to stick up for ourselves and not allow people to walk over us, we can still do it in a kind and courageous way.

Little things that annoy us may happen all the time. Instead of getting angry at the person, however, we can offer it up to Jesus as a little present.

Christmas is coming soon and one way we can prepare is by offering up these little annoyances to Jesus as gifts. It is His birthday soon and Jesus would be very happy to receive these little presents.

Beautiful St. Anne and St. Joachim

St. Anne is a beautiful saint and I am so blessed to have her as my patron saint. I really like the name Anne, which means grace. It is kind of funny though because anyone who sees me knows that I am rather clumsy, not graceful. I think I am similar to her, however, because I love children and I want to be a mother and teacher very much. St. Anne is a very special saint because she is the mother of Blessed Mother and the grandmother of our Savior, Jesus. She is also a wonderful model for Christian mothers and is the guardian of children. In addition, she is a beautiful example of pure womanhood and of Christian family life!

St. Anne's husband, St. Joachim, is also a good role model for us to imitate. They both show us how important it is for us to trust God. They both hoped that they would have children for a long time. They prayed and trusted in God and then... God sent Mary to St. Anne and Joachim!

They were such a good example of loving, humble, and virtuous parents who showed much kindness to Mary and taught her through their daily work. St. Anne, especially taught Mary the ways of motherhood and prepared her to be the mother of Jesus.

I could not just pick one picture because they are all so incredibly beautiful...

 

(I love this one!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is one of my favorite stained glass windows. I often found myself sitting in the same spot whenever I would go into the chapel to pray. Then I looked closely and realized I was sitting next to a picture of St. Anne... :)

 

Remember to ask St. Anne for her intercession. She is a very good intercessor as she is very close to Jesus because she is His grandmother.

The Memorare asking for St. Anne's intercession is a good prayer.

"Remember, good Saint Anne, whose name means grace and mercy, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I come before you, sinful and sorrowful. Holy mother of the Immaculate Virgin Mary and loving grandmother of the Savior, do not reject my appeal, but hear me and answer my prayer. Amen."

 

Her feast day is on Sunday and I am so excited!

St. Anne, please pray for us.

  

The Importance of a Simple Smile

"We may never understand all the good that a simple smile can do" ~Mother Teresa :)

 

 

Picture of the book Mother Teresa and Me. You should read it! :)

People who talk to me a lot know that I love Mother Teresa and that I especially like her quotes about smiling. I often post quotes about smiling with my pictures. And no... it is not just because I am smiling in the picture and the quote just happens to go perfectly with it. So why do I smile so much? Why do I like the idea of a smile so much? At first this might seem a bit silly to think smiling is so important, but the main reason why I do this lies in Mother Teresa's words. "I will never understand all the good that a simple smile can accomplish." It is just a simple smile, but at the same time it is not simple. It is actually quite profound.

The past couple of days I kept thinking about her smile quotes and then I started remembering a particular incident that reminded me of the importance of a simple smile. It had been a long day at school and I had just finished my last class. Shortly after, I walked into the cafeteria at my school. I did not have a smile on my face at all because I was so incredibly exhausted, so I probably looked very sad and tired. The long lines did not help with this at all. After getting my food, I happened to glance over at the bakery and the bakery man had the biggest grin on his face. His giant smile was so beautiful and it made me smile. He must have been tired standing on his feet for so long repeatedly handing out the famous chocolate chip cookies to all the college students, but he never stopped smiling.  Later, I realized that I kept smiling when I walked into the cafeteria after that. Each time I came up to the bakery man, he said, "She is always smiling," or "Always smiling" to me with that same giant grin on his face.

I did not really realize right away why I kept smiling particularly whenever I walked into the cafeteria, but then I realized it. His smile was contagious. I was smiling because he was making me happy with his smile. Whether or not he realized it, he taught me a lesson and Mother Teresa helped as well. I realized that even though I was tired from my classes, I needed to smile. They reminded  me that a simple smile has so much goodness in it. If someone is having a bad day, that smile might be the only thing that will brighten their day. You never know how happy you might make someone feel from that little grin you wear.

After this incident, I started experimenting with this and smiled more often. At the nursing home I sing at, I smiled at the elderly people. They looked so happy when I smiled and they smiled back. At the eye doctor, I was smiling and laughing with my mom while I was waiting. The nurse looked very tired as she walked through the hallway, but she happened to glace into the room I was in and immediately smiled when she saw me laugh. I smiled at my adorable little niece and she giggled back. This of course is my favorite... making children happy. :)

Mother Teresa says, "Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing." When you smile at someone, you reflect God's love for them. You help to radiate Christ wherever you go. By giving a simple smile, you are showing them a great deal of love and kindness. This IS a beautiful thing.

So next time you go somewhere, try smiling at someone. Even if you are exhausted or do not feel very well, just smile anyway. People will notice and you will start to touch peoples lives with your smile. :)

The Father's Daughter

A father has a very important role in the family. He protects, provides, and leads the family. He, especially, has a huge impact on his daughter's life. His love and care affects her in many ways that she may not even fully realize right away.

  

Growing up without a father affects a girl greatly. Girls who have lost their fathers and do not receive their love and affirmation on a daily basis anymore often start to lose their self-esteem. They may start to judge themselves and worry that all men are judging them. They also often have a strong desire for acceptance from men because they are not constantly reminded that they are accepted by their father. This leads to their questioning of their worth and their value. As girls grow older and they see other girls beginning to date, this wound becomes stronger. Many girls begin to feel as if they have to find the right guy right away and as soon as possible. It is more difficult for them to wait for their prince charming to come because they do not have their father reassuring them about their beauty and worth.  

 

Fathers Day is coming up and for many, it can be a painful reminder for those who have lost fathers. When a girl who has lost her father sees everyone spending a whole day with their fathers, it can be extremely difficult. Not only do I know girls who have lost their fathers, but I also can relate to this experience. Having lost my father at the age of eleven when he passed away from a sudden heart attack, I also completely understand this situation.

 

Over time, however, one can heal from the pain of losing a father. But how?

 

The answer to this question is God the Father. Ladies, please remember that you are a daughter of God. God the Father is the best Father that anyone could ever imagine. His love is so powerful and unique that no earthly father is even capable of giving that love. If you have lost a father or even if you do not have a good relationship with him, it is possible for the hole in your heart to be healed. It may not happen right away, but over time it will be healed.

 

Ask The Father to show you His love. You, however, have to be willing to accept it. Ask Him to show you how He sees you. Ask Him to teach you how much you mean to Him and how much you are worth. Ask Him to heal your heart. He loves you more than you could ever imagine and wants to heal you.

 

And don't worry. If you are called to marriage, God the Father has someone very special in mind and will send him to you in His timing. Never Settle. Trust Him and let Him find your prince charming for you.

 

Following The Little Flower's Little Way

“My little way is the way of spiritual childhood, the way of trust and absolute self-surrender.”

 ~St. Therese of Lisieux

 

Ever since I was little, St. Therese has been my role-model. My mom used to read me a different story about her every night before I went to bed. Growing up and even now, I try my best to imitate her little way. Last summer I wanted to learn more as to how to put her little way into practice, so I read The Way of Trust and Love by Fr. Jacques Philippe. I find myself talking frequently about her to my friends and often they ask me questions such as “So what exactly is her little way?” and “What does it mean to trust and to surrender to God’s will?”

By reading this book and throughout college, I have come to better grasp what her little way actually means. College can be a difficult time for many people. Everyone seems to be breaking up, friends may leave you, and the work load can be so stressful at times that you feel you might collapse from it all. When friends or even a boyfriend leave your side, our natural human reaction is to feel anger, rejection, and loneliness. We may feel abandoned and then wonder… what should do with our life?

This is when we should especially turn to God for help. Through prayer, we can better fully understand what St. Therese’s little way means. Her little way as said in the quote above is trust and absolute self- surrender to God. Trusting and surrendering in God mean you realize that you cannot do it all yourself. You always need God’s help. It means giving every trial to Jesus and laying it all at his feet. Matt Maher’s song, “Lay it Down” basically sums up this idea of surrender.

Trusting in God also means that you understand God’s will is always the best way to go. We may want to go down a certain path, but is that what God wants us to do? When we pray for what we want, God gives us one of three answers: Yes, Wait, or I have something better in mind. If He says I have something better in mind, there is obviously a reason why He says this to us. He knows things that we do not know even about ourself. His will is what will ultimately make us happy because it will lead us closer to Him and Heaven where we will be happy forever.

 

 

So… If your boyfriend breaks up with you, there is a reason God allowed that to happen. He either has a better relationship for you or a different vocation in mind. If friends abandon you, maybe God is leading you to a better group of friends that can lead you closer to Him. We might never understand why God allows certain things to happen to us, because His reasons are sometimes beyond our understanding. If we give these problems to Him and offer them up as a sacrifice, however, our suffering becomes a prayer.

This summer, I am going to strive to follow St. Therese’s little way even more. You can ask St. Therese to pray for you. She is the one who came up with it, so she can definitely help you!

Remember to ask St. Therese to pray for you to trust in Jesus just as she did!

Sacred Heart of Jesus I Place My Trust in You

"How I would like to make you understand the tenderness of the Heart of Jesus, what He is asking of you. ~St. Therese of Lisieux

Jesus I Trust in You

As St. Therese says, the Heart of Jesus is full of tenderness for us. He loves us so much we cannot imagine it or fully understand it as humans. His heart is overflowing with love and mercy for us. He always takes care of us and always knows what is best for us. His plan will therefore make us the happiest. As humans we often, however, lose trust in Him and His plan for us. We lose confidence in His loving Sacred Heart. We worry about many things and start losing faith that He is taking care of us and will continue to take care of us. We are imperfect and, therefore, need His help to trust in Him. Ask Him to teach you trust in His loving and merciful Sacred Heart. Pray for the grace to trust.

The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is coming up soon on June 12 and one way we can prepare for it is by doing the Sacred Heart Novena. https://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/heart/sh_novena.htm

The Divine Mercy Chaplet is also helpful in strengthening our trust. The more we keep praying and asking Him to strengthen our faith, the more we will grow closer to Him and His Sacred Heart. By becoming closer to His Sacred Heart, we will then begin to trust in His love and mercy for us more.

If you start to lose hope or start worrying, repeatedly say Jesus I Trust in You. If you go through pain or suffering say Jesus I Trust in You. If you are lonely or afraid say Jesus I Trust in You. Keep saying it even if you have to repeatedly say it over and over again many times. Listen to Him speak to you.  Fall in Jesus' arms and let Him love you.

"A humble soul does not trust itself, but places all its confidence in God." ~St. Faustina

Jesus I trust in You.

Surrendering to God Through Mary

“From Mary we learn to surrender to God’s will in all things. From Mary we learn to trust even when all hope seems gone. From Mary we learn to love Christ her Son and the Son of God.”

 ~St. John Paul II

St. John Paul II knows what he is talking about. This is very true. We should strive to become closer to Mary as she is the Mother of God. By becoming closer to Mary, she leads us closer to Christ. When we do not know where to turn, we can ask Mary to pray for us. Just as she said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word,” we too should decide to surrender to God and let Him do what is best for us. Even if we have trouble understanding God’s will for us and why He might be calling us down a certain path, we can ask Mary to help us completely surrender to God. Since Mary shows us such a good example of trusting in God, she can help us transform our heart so that we will have an open heart as she did.

When we are afraid or worried, we can ask Blessed Mother to intercede for us. There is a beautiful prayer by Mother Teresa, “Mary, Mother of Jesus, please be a mother to me now.” When you are alone or fearful ask Mary to be a mother to you. As our mother, she comforts us, loves us, and cares for us. Mother Teresa had a great deal of hardship in her life and often said this prayer during those times. This prayer is, therefore, a beautiful way of asking for her intercession.

How exactly can we grow closer to Jesus through Mary though? We can spend time every day asking Mary to intercede for us. Praying the Rosary is a very good way of getting closer to Mary and Jesus. She asks us to pray the Rosary, so it is a very powerful way of growing in holiness. In addition, the Marian Consecration to Jesus through Mary can help us strengthen our relationship with Jesus through His mother Mary. There are many different kinds of Marian consecrations such as the one by St. Maximillian Kolbe. Learning more about Mary by reading books about her is also a great way. One book that is especially good is St. Louis De Montfort’s True Devotion to Mary.

Jesus loves His mother very much, so He is very happy when we honor her and ask her for prayers. Ask her to help you imitate her complete trust in God and have an open heart to do whatever He asks of you.

Faithful Friends: The Reflection of God's Love

"A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter: he who finds one has found a treasure." ~Sirach 6:14

True friendship is a gift from God. It can be extremely hard to find faithful friends who will always stay by your side and remain loyal to you, which is why I personally stopped trying so hard to find one. I also realized that if I have to try so hard to be someone's friend, are they really a true friend? By this I mean, if you are always the one that is asking them to do things with you, always the one to start a conversation with them, and they never seem to really have an interest in being your friend back... then are they really a faithful friend? So instead of trying so hard, I decided to ask God to find me faithful friends. And He did...

 Many people will just hang out with you occasionally, might share a few interests with you, and then forget about you. Faithful friends do not forget about each other. They enjoy spending time with you and genuinely care about you. True friendship is also not just about getting along and having many things in common. While having things in common is important, it is not the only aspect that you should look for in a friend.

 

(Photo credit goes to my beautiful friend Angela!)

 

As the picture above says, faithful friends are a "source of strength." True friends are the reflection of God's love for you and through this reflection, they help you grow closer to Him. Faithful friends seek to help each other in times of hardship instead of backing away. They help each other get through these trials by their willingness to help, their kindness, and their love for you. By doing this, they each help to strengthen the other during these difficult moments that we all face in life. They help you to see how much God loves you. As a result the friendship becomes very joyful and it gives you strength.

They also do not say negative things about you, but instead encourage you to stop saying negative things about yourself. Instead, they uplift you, encourage you, and help you to see how God sees you.

So if you are wondering how to find a faithful friend, ask God to send you one that will lead you closer to Him. Some things to think about when praying about your friendships can include:

Do they say negative things about you or to you?

When there is distance between you, does the friendship last?

Do they abandon you in difficult moments?

Do they only hang out with you occasionally and only when you come up with the idea first?

Does the friendship help you to become a better person? Does it lead you closer to God?

So please remember to seek God with your whole heart. Ask Him to send you faithful friends and ask Him to help you be a faithful friend as well. When we let God decide who He wants us to be friends with, we will have the happiest and most authentic friendships we could ever imagine because He knows what is best for us. :)

Introduction

Hi everyone!

I am so excited to start this blog! Before I start my actual posts though, I think I should introduce my blog first! So here I go! :)

"She is clothed in strength and dignity and she laughs without fear of the future."

 ~Proverbs 31:25

This has to be one of my favorite Bible quotes... this is why my blog is named after it! :) As women we worry a great deal about many things: school, friends, our career, our future... God, however, has it under control and we have to trust Him. My blog, therefore, is going to focus on this theme by writing about lessons from scripture and the saints. I will then talk about how we can put these teachings into practice.

I love writing about many different saints, especially St. Therese and St Anne. They are wonderful saints to imitate by the way! I hopefully will be able to write something each week, but if not that... at least every month. :)  I hope you enjoy reading my blog!